THE 

BALTIMORE FIRE 

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MAP SHOWING THE PORTION lOF BALTIMORE DEVASTATED BY THE FIRE 



OUVE/^IR OF 




THE BALTIMORE EIRE 



JAL'i: UEMBNT. 



February 7th, Sth and 9th, 1904, 



AS SEEN THROUGH A CAMERA. 



Bv JACK HEMENT 

'/ 

The Famous Newspaper Artist and War Correspondent, 



Designed and Publislied for the 

ILLUSTRATED PRESS SYNDICATE, NEW YORK. 

BY 

The a. B. Benesch Co., 
Publishers, 116 Nassau Street, New York Cit}-. 



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Bi H-37 



Copyrighted, 1904 

BY 

The a. B. Benesh Company 

New York 

AH Rights Reserved 

All of the Engravinys in tliis Book are Protected by Copyright and Reproduction in :uiv 
Form is Prohibited. 






Prmfed by 
y RODGERS S: EBBF 'S 
/ 15 Vandewater S' 
^ New Yot' 

Bindinp 
BUCKLEY . 
23, 35 and 27 : j I Pli> 



INTRODUCTORY 



EVENTS swift and portentious, marked the early 
portion of 1904. If a forecast may be made from 
tlae past and present happenings whicli liave been 
crowded into the opening months of the 3'ear, it would 
appear there are still storms ahead. It is to be hoped, 
however, the period of stress has been passed and a 
season of bright da3fs is to come. 

War, pestilence, famine, fire, flood and destruction 
generally have of late ruled the world ruthlessly. Mer- 
ciless have been the elements apparently to all humanity 
at large. And science, despite her wondrous march to a 
point Avhere she stands awestruck at her own disclosures 
of the marvels of Nature's realms, finds herself still 
helpless, still unable to rule the elements of Fire, Air 
and Water. Yet science has pointed proudl}^ to her 
achievements, to prove her sovereignty over these same 
elements. It is true that science has, to a degree, made 
Fire, Air and Water our servants, but, " lest we forget," 
we are taught now and again that science is not omnip- 
otent and that our servants maj' become our masters. 

One of these stern lessons was given us on Sunda}'. 
February 7th, when the City of Baltimore was desolated 
b}' fire. At this time, the City of Baltimore, its business 
section, presents a scene of ruin. Charred remnants of 
what were once goodly buildings, a confused mass of 
wreckage, lie piled high in gigantic heaps. All beauty 
of architecture blotted out, all identitj^ lost; even though 
here and there may be seen portions of blackened walls 
rising above the chaos. One or two tall iron columns, 
once the supports of a noble structure, stand lonely and 
dismal. They are in the midst of destruction, as if 



pointing upward, mute signals, that the fiery ordeal 
through which they have passed was due to causes 
beyond the ken of man. Baltimore is known as the 
Monumental City, but never in her histor}- have her 
people gazed on monuments calling forth sadder memo- 
ries than these relics of the fire that ravaged this fair 
southern city on Sunday, February jtli, 1904. 

Many Lenten seasons has Baltimore passed thro', 
but none more gloomy than the one approaching. 
Seared deeply, her business interests lie in the ashes of 
her ruins. But her civic life has not been harmed, and 
tho' cast down Baltimore looks forward to her jo3'ous 
Easter, to her hour of resurrection. She will emerge 
from the darkness and the shadows will disperse in the 
glorious light of an evening sun. She will wear a more 
beautiful aspect than before. From the ashes of a dead 
commercial centre will arise a more magnificent one. 

The object of this book is to present in as sharp a 
form as possible what the Baltimore fire actuall}" was; 
to make each reader also a spectator. This brief preface 
is written with a view of suggesting that salutorj' lessons 
can be drawn from the recent disaster. But it is not 
our province to make more than the passing reference 
already made concerning them. The pictures will point 
the moral to adorn the tale far better than any written 
words. It may not, however, be out of place to state, 
as briefl}' as maj^ be, the cause and extent of the fire. 

Flames were discovered shortly before 1 1 o'clock on 
the morning of Sunday, in the store of John E. Hurst 
& Co. at the southwest corner of Hopkins Place and 
German street. Before they were subdued nearly forty 



city squares, including nearlj^ 2,000 buildings had been 
crushed to ashes. Where large commercial enterprises 
occupied costh' structures nothing remains but a mass of 
burnt and blistered brick, stone and marble, and a maze 
of tangled iron, steel and wire. A property loss estimated 
at over one hundred million dollars had resulted, and the 
business of the city was at a standstill. A sharp wind 
carried the fire south, east and west. Before midnight 
the local fire department had admitted its helplessness 
despite heroic effort, and appeals were made to Wash- 
ington, Wilmington, Philadelphia, New York and the 
smaller cities nearer by. All those places responded 
promptly, but it was not until the fire had raged more 
than forty hours that the firemen were able to report it 
under control. During all those hours five thousand 
uniformed firemen, with from ten to twenty thousand 
volunteers, had done their best, but the flames were not 
to be denied. In twelve hours they had eaten a path 
through German street to Baltimore and Calvert streets, 
the Custom House was afire and the " Baltimore Sun" 
and the "Baltimore American" Buildings were in ruins. 
On went the flames, razing the squares bounded b}^ 
Charles, Lexington, Lombard, Light, St. Paul and 
Howard streets. The firemen used dynamite freely in 
their attempts to check the progress of the defying ele- 
ment. The course of the sweeping flames was toward 
the warehouses and docks near Jones' Falls and the 
Basin. Hourly they spread, and hourly the catastropbe 
assumed greater proportion, as building after building 
crumbled in the heat. 

The three million dollar Court House at Calvert and 
Fayette streets was saved, but the buildiiigs of the 
Western Union, of the Baltimore & Ohio R.R., the 
Carrollton Hotel, the "Baltimore Herald" and the Cus- 
tom House went down: — but the pictures will show the 



destruction wrought in that fort}^ hours of flame. 
A merciful dispensation of Providence had chosen 
Sunda}', when the business buildings were practically 
unoccupied for the hour of devastation. But three lives 
were lost, and two of those were from accidents that 
might have occurred at anj" time. In the Iroquois 
Theatre fire in Chicago, where the fire lasted less than 
half an hour, more than six hundred lives were sacri- 
ficed. 

The fire was subdued — its fury expended and its 
work done — at the triangular jut of land bordered on 
the east b}^ Jones' Falls, and on the south and southwest 
bv the HarlDor Basin. When the smoke had cleared 
awa}' and men were sufficiently calm to mark the dam- 
age done, it was seen that the flames, which had started 
at Hopkins Place, had been fanned north and northeast 
to West Lexington street by Sundaj^'s southwest wind, 
and been carried back along and to the east of its path 
by the northwest winds of Sunday night and Monday 
morning. They had licked up square after square of 
the financial section, and then swung out toward the 
great wharfs of the Basin and the lumber 3rards along 
the Jones' Creek, two conditions alone governing: — the 
direction of the wind and the sustaining qualities of the 
buildings in their path. 

An insurance map of the fire's progress shows the 
fire-swept section to be bounded on the north b_v West 
Lexington street and the north side of Lexington street; 
on the south by West Pratt street, the Basin and East- 
ern avenues; on the east b)^ Liberty and North Howard 
streets; on the west by Jones' Falls, South High street, 
Albemarle street and East Falls avenue. An estimate 
made bj' the National Board of Fire underwriters gives 
sevent3--tw^o million dollars as the amount ot the in- 
surance loss. 




Holida\- stieut and Water street looking from Ga\' street, Chamber of Commerce BLiildini; in center. 



city squares, in 
crushed to ashe 
occupied costly 
burnt and blisti 
of tangled iron, 
at over one hun 
business of tli( 
carried the fire 
the local fire d' 
despite heroic 
ington, Wilmi; 

smaller cities il 

promptly, but 

than forty hou 

under control.. 

uniformed firel 

volunteers, haq 

to be denied. 

through Germ; 

the Custom Hq 

and the "Baltij 

On went the , 

Charles, Lexi, 

Howard streets 

their attempts' 

ment. The ci 

the warehouses-^. 

Basin. Hourly thej 

assumed greater pr 

crumbled in the hei, 
The three millit' 

Fayette streets wa| 

Western Union, o\ 

Carrollton Hotel, tlj 

tom House went do 




View from German and Hanover streets, wholesale business district, all builJings and contents totally destroyed for 

several blocks. 




General view troni corner of South Lombaid street looking West, showing several very 

completely destro}'ed. 



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General view from Gay street to St. Paul, showing all that remained of several large office and bank biiildina 




(.."liKi- nf Pratt and Li^ht slict-t, slio\\in>^ the tiifiiifn playini; liosi- on a uareliuust,- (.nntainin^ -^uii jio\\Jci, aiul -.uIJil 

and police guarding the lines. 




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Harribon and Baltimovc; stiL-cts looking south. Remains in centre of picture was the Maryland 1: 

and Design. 



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C. riiKi uf FreJerick and Water streets. 



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Looking from Gay street, southwest Calvert street. Continental Trust Company Building, "German Correspond- 
ent " and several bank buildings. 



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View from top of Monumental Theatre, corner Baltimore St. and Jones Falls Bridge, overlooking part of burned district. 




Showing coiners of German and Liberty streets and Hopkins place. All that is left of the large store of John E. Hurst 

& Co., the place wher^ the fire started. 




E.xxhancre Place and Gay street looking North. 



Showir, 




From Hopkins Place looking southeast— Hopkins Sa\ in-s Bank, National Exchange Bank, wholesale dry goods, shoe and 

clothing district. 




Hopkins Place and Lombard street, the early seat of the fire. 




From top of Monumental Theatre, corner of Baltimore street and Jones Falls bridge, o\-erlooK-ing burned district. 




Lookin;j, northwest, Frederick, Water and Gay streets. New U. S. Custom House in right hand corner. 




Looking, suulhw fst fium South and Baltimore streets, " Baltimore Sun " building in centc 




The Baltimore American" and American Fire Insurance Company building 




Loukini; northwest fnjm South street and Exchange Place towards Water street 




Luukiiil; W. 1 -ill li.iltiiiinic street fnuii Junes Falls briJ-c, slmw iii^ pnnu where fire was stopped. 




Church of the Messiah, corner of Gay and Fayette streets. 




Luokiiii: north tr^ini l.;_ht anJ L'.inbarJ >trct:-t> 



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View from northeast corner Baltimore and South streets. 




Interior view First National Banl<, notliing left but the large \-aults, wIiIlIi were proof against the intense heat, all 

securities were found in perfect condition. 




Looking northwest from German and Light streets, bonded warehouses and wholesale whiskey district. All buildings 

totally destroyed. 




Looking towards Baltimore and St. Paul streets. Carleton Hotel and several bank buildings, a 




First National, Continental and Farmers' National Ban 




View taken from Continental Trust CoiTipan\- Building, from South street looking northeast. 




Bank-ill" house of Hambleton & Co. looking towards Baltimore & Oliio Ccniral building. 




National Bank of Commerce building and Firemen's Insurance building. 




Corner of Hopkins Place and Lombard street, center of wholesale dry goods district. Everything destroyed for several 

blocks around. 




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Fium conu-r ui Li^iiit ana Pratt streets, police olticers, seciei scniee men and tireiiieii gLiarding the line. 




Wine Alley, looking north from German street. 
View from Cahert and German streets. 



Baltimore & Oliio Central Building 
North Brothers & Strauss factory. 




View from corner of German and Soutli streets luokinii Southwt 




Scenes during the fire showing tlie firemen at work, soldiers guarding the lines and fireman receiving hot coffee. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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